As we celebrate Nature Conservation Day on July 28, it is time to reclaim the natural balance
TANCIA PIRES
Nature doesn’t cry out in protests—it withdraws in silence. The forest thins, the rivers darken, the bees vanish, and the soil forgets how to breathe.
The depleting green scenery
The total forest and tree cover in India is 25.17% of the country’s geographical area, according to the India State of Forest Report 2023. While this is wonderful, the greater question is, is it enough? Will it remain the same? Or are we losing the battle while raging a war against nature?
Goan botanist, landscape designer, and ardent environmentalist Daniel D’Souza believes that the rampant infrastructural development could pose a threat to the current green cover.
“Infrastructural development is essential and in certain cases inevitable, but it has to be done in a very scientific, planned and organised manner without causing ecological damage, or without disturbing the life of flora and fauna,” he says.
He personally follows the typical environment-friendly mantra of reduce, re-use, and recycle. He also advocates for urban gardening with negligible or least use of chemicals, be it pesticides, weedicides, or insecticides, etc., re-using water by raising the level of soil to allow used water to percolate and recharge before being discharged (a form of groundwater recharge or soil biofiltration), and recycling almost around 85% of the polybags or non-biodegradable materials used while gardening or landscaping projects.
Further, he urges every citizen to grow more flowering plants to protect pollinators like butterflies and bees as without them, our food cycle collapses.
Echoing this, Joel Rodrigues, a teacher by profession at St. Britto’s, Mapusa, who has taken up apiculture, states that bees are the silent guardians of nature—pollinating over 70% of the food crops and sustaining ecosystems. “If they vanished, it would trigger a chain reaction of ecological collapse,” he says. Globally, he says, bees face threats from pesticide use, habitat loss, and shrinking green spaces. Climate change is another silent disruptor. Providing a simple solution to the declining population of bees, he says we can help by planting indigenous, bee-friendly flowers, avoiding chemicals in home gardens, and supporting fellow local beekeepers. According to him even a small patch of blossoms on a balcony can offer bees refuge. “Conservation begins with awareness, and when we protect bees, we’re protecting the delicate balance of life itself,” he says.
Another core part of nature is fungi. “These are nature’s silent architects—vital to nutrient cycling, soil health, and plant productivity,” says young biodiversity enthusiast Devesh Naik. From decomposing organic matter to aiding nitrogen fixation, fungi shape resilient ecosystems. Yet, they’re often overlooked in conservation. Deforestation and soil degradation are rapidly threatening fungal diversity. With a keen interest in identifying and photographing various floral species, Naik, who works as a radiographer at Goa Medical College, Bambolim, emphasises citizen science: “When people document and monitor fungi, we fill knowledge gaps and raise awareness,” he says, while advocating for protecting sacred forests rich in fungal life, regulating wild mushroom harvesting, and recognising fungi as key biodiversity pillars. “Our survival depends not just on trees and animals, but on the life beneath our feet,” he says.
Where every drop counts
Water, the most elemental gift of nature, is also under siege. Samuel Afonso, an environmental executive at a MNC in Verna, who is deeply involved in grassroots water conservation efforts states that the signs are right in front of us. “When you see water hyacinth spreading over rivers, when clear waters turn cloudy or milky, when a foul stench—like sewage, chemicals, or rotten eggs fills the air near ponds and lakes, these are nature’s distress calls. They are visible indicators that the water body is choking,” he explains. He adds that this is not just an aesthetic or sensory issue. The degradation directly affects biodiversity.
State convenor of the Goa River Conservation Network and veteran environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar shifts the focus below the surface. He says, “The latest groundwater assessment for Goa has revealed that the level of water extraction from 2011 to 2023 has increased by 65% over the 12-year period. Bardez and Mormugao are the talukas where the extent of groundwater extraction is the highest as against the availability of the resource.” He cautions, “Groundwater isn’t infinite. Once the aquifers run dry or get contaminated, the recovery process takes decades, sometimes centuries.”
Both Afonso and Kerkar identify untreated sewage, eutrophication, haphazard mining and industrial discharge as primary pollutants threatening both surface and groundwater quality. They also emphasise that solutions are within reach. Afonso believes that the most effective and affordable one is to identify all raw sewage discharge points and eliminate them. Reintroducing native aquatic plants and conserving aquatic species by avoiding unsustainable activities like using gelatine explosives, dredging and/or illegal sand mining are other ways that can kick-start the natural purification processes of water. Adding to this Kerkar says, “Scientifically and systematically designed sewerage treatment plants, providing protection for the catchment areas of water resources and afforestation of indigenous species of trees, will resolve these menaces.”
Designing spaces that breathe
Given that infrastructural development is inevitable, architect Tallulah D’Silva who has a keen love for the environment, believes that there is a need to design more buildings that adapt to climate realities like heavy rainfall and soil erosion. Instead of relying on harmful concrete, her approach uses locally available, nature-friendly materials like soil, sand, and gravel—carefully modified to improve strength without degrading ecosystems.
Preserving natural terrain, protecting existing vegetation (especially medicinal plants), and implementing rainwater harvesting are central to her designs. “We limit construction to under 25% of any plot, ensuring space for nature to thrive. Sustainable building isn’t a trend—it’s a necessity for climate resilience,” she says.
((Originally from Carambolim, the writer is pursuing a Ph.D. at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Mangaluru. She has a keen interest in literature, performing arts, and music.)
